Peeing in the shower is generally considered safe and can save water, as the stream washes it away, but it might create a habit of needing to go when hearing running water (urge incontinence) and could pose minor risks if you have open wounds or a contagious infection like a UTI. For most healthy people, it's more about personal preference and avoiding the potential for a mental link between running water and urination, especially for women, as standing to pee can strain pelvic floor muscles.
“It's really personal preference that people don't like to associate a place where you clean yourself in the shower to a place where you also do some elimination.” Urinating in the shower is unlikely to create any health problems, according to urologists, and it's not likely to clog up the drain.
But if you do, know this: peeing in the shower really isn't as gross as it's made out to be. For starters, it's more hygienic than peeing in a toilet, which results in a significant amount of splashback—on your jeans, on your hands and even on your face.
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a scientific study showing most mammals over about 3 kg (6.6 lbs) empty their bladders in roughly 21 seconds, a phenomenon explained by physics where longer, wider urethras in larger animals use gravity to maintain a similar flow rate to smaller ones, and it serves as a loose benchmark for human bladder health; significantly shorter or longer times can signal issues like overactive bladder or holding it too long.
Now, let's say you shower once every day, so you would pee during that shower saving 1.6 gallons of water from not flushing the toilet. So to do the math there are 365 days in a year, times that by 1.6 gallons of water saved, for a total of 584 gallons of water.
“While it's not sterile, the bacteria counts in healthy urine are fairly low. And it's your own bacteria. So, as long as you're cleaning your shower regularly, there's no major health risk associated with peeing in the shower.”
Golden shower (urolagnia), a slang term for the practice of urinating on another person for sexual pleasure.
A moderate urge normally occurs after about 300 ml is in the bladder. When someone is in a situation where they cannot reach the bathroom easily, often bladder can store as much as 1 liter (1,000 ml) but with some obvious discomfort.
In general, it should take about 20 seconds to pee. You can set a timer, or simply by counting “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi,” Dr. Miller says. If you're significantly over or under 20 seconds, you're likely holding your pee too long or going too often.
Men are more likely to indulge, with 30% saying they do so regularly compared to 20% of women. In all, 45% of Americans pee in the shower throughout the course of the average year. A licensed therapist told Talker Research this reflects our modern obsession with multitasking.
Drains: Drains can catch not only direct urine but also clean water mixed with urine. This can create a breeding ground for bacteria, contributing to the unpleasant smell if the drains are not regularly flushed out or treated with the right products.
Note that it's also worse if you share a shower because the other person could have a urinary tract infection. “If you are doing this, clean the area with soap and water and run clean shower water on it after you have urinated in the shower to be considerate and sanitary for the next person,” Dr. Sonpal says.
Urine leaves the body through a small tube called the urethra. Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control. Stress incontinence happens when movement or activity puts pressure on the bladder, causing urine to leak.
It's a strange question and one you've probably never considered. But experts say there is a certain amount of time it should take to empty your bladder. From house cats to elephants, most mammals take about 20 seconds to urinate. That goes for humans as well.
In many males the feeling of the need to urinate can be sensed at the base of the penis as well as the bladder, even though the neural activity associated with a full bladder comes from the bladder itself, and can be felt there as well.
What is the average volume of urine per urination? Typically, adults may produce 200-400 ml, but the volume may vary depending on fluid intake, temperature, kidney function, and other factors. However, if urination is above or below this range, it may indicate dehydration or various disorders of the urinary system.
Human urine is composed primarily of water (95%). The rest is urea (2%), creatinine (0.1%), uric acid (0.03%), chloride, sodium, potassium, sulphate, ammonium, phosphate and other ions and molecules in lesser amounts30 (Table 1).
The "21-second pee rule" comes from a scientific study showing most mammals over about 3 kg (6.6 lbs) empty their bladders in roughly 21 seconds, a phenomenon explained by physics where longer, wider urethras in larger animals use gravity to maintain a similar flow rate to smaller ones, and it serves as a loose benchmark for human bladder health; significantly shorter or longer times can signal issues like overactive bladder or holding it too long.
brown shower (plural brown showers) (slang, pornography) The act of a person defecating on another, usually for sexual stimulation of one or both persons.
Tinkle, wee, wiz, piss, take a leak, empty your bladder, relieve yourself, use the john, “go” on the go, answer nature's call…the list of pee euphemisms is seemingly endless, and we are here for it.
The Talker Research survey also found that 45% of Americans pee in the shower throughout the average year, with 12% doing it daily and another 12% doing it a few times per week. Additionally, more men (30%) tend to do it regularly than women (20%). Who would have thought? So, why is this such a common habit?
In addition, as gross as it might sound, surveys have shown that around 70% of all people pee in the shower. That urine can become trapped if not cleaned away properly, causing an ammonia smell to build.